Barbantinho (Stringy)
BABANTINHO (STRINGY) Barbantinho is a main character in ''City of God. ''He's the best of friend of the novel and movie's main character Duscape. He's shown to be a very loyal friend to Buscupe and has possible aspirations to be a lifeguard when he grows up,most likely due to his love for swimming. HISTORY Barbantinho was born and raised in the Cidade De De Deus.At some point in his early years, he would meet Buscupe who he would develop a freindship with,one that would eventually lead for the two of them to become best friends. One day he's playing soccer along with a group of other young boys who reside in the favela (including Buscupe).Their game is interrupted on two different occasions: once when Ze Pequeno (known as Lil Dice at the time) and Bene come over wanting to play.The second time when the ball is snatched up by Shaggy, the leader of the criminal trio known as the Tender Trio. While the Tender Trio had off to commit a robbery on a scheduled gas tank truck making it's rounds in the favela (followed by Bene and Lil Dice),Barbantinho,Buscape and the rest of the group of kids presumbly continue their game of soccer. Later Barbantinho's called over and they decide to take a walk down to the river.As they pass by the road they observe various newcomers to the Cidade De Deus, as well as various new telelphones and nodes of electricity being set up. They gain the brief attention of a young girl around the same age. While swimming at the river, they comtemplate what they're planning on doing when they get older and become adults.Barbantinho shows certain interest in becoming a lifeguard.He asks Buscupe what he plans to do and Buscape insists he doesn't know but he doesn't see himself selling fish with his father when he's older like his older brother,Goose, does. He and Buscape later join the crowd surrounding Shaggy's body (having just been killed by the police attempting to escape the favela with his girlfriend). He drags Buscape away from the crime scene to make their way to school LATER YEARS Barbantinho and Buscape are still attending school and are in their late teens.While they have upcoming tests,they've decided to join the rest of a large group of students called "groovies" at the beach.Buscupe takes a group photo. While over there Barbatinho talks to Buscupe about his secret crush on Angelica, a fellow student in the same year as him. He reminds Buscupe about Angelica's current existing relationship with Babantinho. Tiago challanges Barbantinho to a race to the water,so they both speed off. Barbantinho,Buscupe and Angelica are present when Bene is introduced and inducted into the Groovies The three forementioned,as well as a small group of groovies attend a party where they're greeted by Bene. While Bene invites Angelica to a dance, Barbantinho goes over the plan for Buscupe to invite Angelica over to Barbntinho's place seeing as his parents aren't home at that particular night (hoping that alone time between Buscupe and Angelica might lead to them finally courting). However,at that moment,they notice that Angelica and Bene are dancing alot more intimately. This seems to discourage both Buscupe and Barbantinho.He and a crowd of party-goers (including Angelica and Buscupe) watch an argument break out between druglords Carrot and Ze Pequeno and Carrot. Having had little luck for making anything of themselves,Buscupe and Barbantinho both resort to robbing someone for their money. Both of them board a board a bus that takes them far outside of the Cidade De Deus limits (most likely to avoid being recognised by whoever they rob). Barbantinho comments about the gun but Buscupe comments that the gun's broken anyway.Barbantino suddenly realises that he recognises the ticket-person on the bus.His name is Knockout Ned and he also lives in the Cidade De Deus.Buscupe insists that Ned won't care about that and the fact that they're stealing from his boss. They're recognised and Ned allows one of them to pass through without having to pay,Barbantinho takes that honor and passes through free of charge. Barbantinho and Buscupe listen as Ned gives them a pep talk about studying hard and making the best effort they can to escape the brutal favela and make something of their lifes (ironically the one thing out of their reach that's the main cause of them opting to rob someone). They're about to pull out their guns when Ned mentions his time in the military and his Karate training. They get off at the next stop and Buscupe says that Ned was "too cool" to rob. They decide to try and rob a nearby bakery but are unable to when the girl flirts with them and gives them her number along with a free piece of candy. As they're left there comtemplating what they're going to do next, a man pulls up in a car next to them asking for directions. Buscupe and Barbantinho realise they've found the perfect candidate to rob as "no-one gives a damn about anyone from or going to Sao Paulo". However as they travel along with him,they realise he too is a cool person especially as they end up smoking a joint together. Barbantinho attends Bene's farewell party along with Buscupe, Angelica and the rest of the groovies. He and Buscupe spend most of their time up in the Dj's booth. He and along with Buscupe wave at Bene and Angelica after they catch their attention.He takes over after Rocket is again called over by Bene.Presumebly, he flees along with everyone else when Bene is accidentally killed. After Knockout Ned's fury driven shootout at the junkyard that results in one of Ze's men being killed,Barbantinho is seen looking out the window along with Buscupe and presumebly another member of Barbantinho's family. He is not seen again until towards the end of the film as him and Buscupe are walking through the Cidade De Deus discussing Buscupe's prediciment,mainly about Buscupe's intention of attempting getting photos of Lil Ze and his gang even though he was after Buscupe (or so Buscupe believed although unbeknowest to him,Ze wasn't after him at all).They suddenly halt as Lil Ze and his gang come out of a alleyway ahead of him. He watches as there's a sudden stand off with Li Ze and his gang on one side of them and a group of cops on the other side of them with Buscupe and Barbantinho in the middle of it all. As another shoot out starts this time between Lil Ze and Carrot's gangs, Buscupe and Barbantinho manage to hide themsides behind a low wall to the side of it all. They stay hidden as the shoot out continues. After Rocket begins to run after the police car that now holds Lil Ze,Carrot and what was left of Carrot's gang, Barbantinho asks what Rocket's doing in which Rocket responds that there's something he needs to finish before running off After Rocket's article about Lil Ze's death is posted they are walking down a street discussing it. Buscupe is explaining about how he had another option which was submit the article about the dealings the cops had with Lil Ze which would have exposed the corrupt nature of the city's police department.However he further explains about how that road would most likely have resulted in the police eventually retaliating. Barbantinho admits that at least that article about Ze's death earned hima job, in which Buscupe corrects him saying it's just a intern. Barbintinho asks if it's a paying internship in which Buscupe admits he doesn't quite know. Barbantinho asks about the sex Buscupe had earlier had with Marina, one of the journalists at the newspaper company he had temporarily worked at. Buscupe replies it wasn't bad for a journalist.